The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has unveiled the ‘Fly2Green Nigeria Initiative’ to promote green environment and commemorate the third year anniversary of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on promotion of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General, NCAA, in a statement, said that the Fly2Green Nigeria Program is the agency’s initiative to drive collective net-zero accountability and eco-citizens responsibility to tackle environmental pollution and climate change.

Nuhu hinted that through its incentive-based green travel program and robust voluntary carbon emissions reduction scheme, Fly2Green Nigeria was designed to map out a decarbonisation strategy for the Nigeria aviation industry domesticate the National Policy on Short-lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) and implement.

He said NCAA would strategically partner with relevant green, blue and circular economy stakeholders to launch the first Clean Air-Blue Skies Advocacy Program in Nigeria tagged: ‘Clean2Breathe Nigeria,’ – a zero air pollution advocacy campaign to boost local air quality against SLCPs.

The statement added: “It is the cardinal imperative of the NCAA to activate climate-smart solutions for sustainable aviation through the Fly2Green Nigeria Initiative; integrating the ambitions and long-term goal aspirations of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) through market-based measures designed to mainstream ICAO’s Basket Measures of Green Aviation to check the emerging climate emergencies of Nigeria, while maintaining the “common but differentiated” responsibility commitments of the Paris climate agreement.

“The NCAA looks forward to a national clean air policy partnerships framework, as it positions the Fly2Green Nigeria program to launch the Clean2Breathe Nigeria campaign as aviation sector-led zero pollution mobilisation tool to jumpstart national action and commitments to meet the nationally determined contribution targets of Nigeria.”

Nuhu emphasised that Africa contributed only 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the continent was warming faster than any other region in the world.

He stated that this could be achieved through green aviation market-based measures that promoted eco-advocacy, eco-citizenship, eco-volunteerism, eco- efficiency, eco-nnovation, eco-finance, eco-health insurance, eco-tourism and ecosystem conservation schemes to boost the contribution of national and regional aviation sector towards the achievement of a 1.5°C future in Nigeria and Africa.